A long musical journey

Mike Sciacca

Kerry Chester could not have envisioned where music would take him

when he first sat down at a Hammond organ some 43 years ago.

Music has taken Chester on an incredible journey, he says, one

that has its roots in Orange County and recently, found its way to

Brazil.

The 49-year-old Huntington Beach resident is probably a far cry

from where his mother had intended him to be.

“I think she was hoping I would become a church organist,” he

chuckled.

Although gospel music played a big part in his early success,

Chester has found his niche in other styles, namely blues and rock

‘n’ roll. Music, he says, to his ears.

“It’s been a great ride all these years. Music -- and there has

been plenty of it -- certainly makes up my life,” he said.

Chester writes, produces and performs music for a living. He plays

keyboard, guitar and sings. He has cut numerous recordings and CDs,

played for one famous group and is a member of other successful

bands.

For the past 22 years he has been part of the Surftones, a

four-member group that plays locally and one he affectionately says

is “the band you can’t get rid of.”

There’s also a little blues band that bears his name, The Kerry

Chester Trio, which includes a female singer.

The Kerry Chester Trio plays every Sunday evening at the Newport

Pier Grill and Sushi restaurant at the end of the Newport Pier.

If you go back to the late 1980s and early 90s, you would find

Chester playing organ and touring with Dick Dale and the Deltones,

the infamous 1960s band that made surf music a force.

“The experience I get from each of these styles, and the people I

have met, have made music an incredible experience for me,” he said.

Chester, who does work in his home demo studio and in a full

fledged studio in Fullerton, says his musical influences came from

the likes of John Lennon, Jim Morrison and one of his favorite

singers, Jack Bruce, who played bass with the band, Cream, which also

featured Eric Clapton.

He has had his own blues and surf style record label, Ranell

Records, for the past three years. The label is signing some major

blues acts, he says. K.K. Martin, who plays blues guitar, is the

label’s president and featured artist.

“It’s an artist-based and run record label, which is somewhat rare

for the industry,” Chester said. “It’s been a lot of work getting our

distributors together but we’re putting our label on the map.”

Chester is recording his own CD sometime in September. The blues

and rock album will be based on the styles along the lines of the

Allman Brothers, he said, adding that the trio will go out on a

regional tour next year to get the CD noticed.

Chester, who considers himself blessed when it comes to his long

career, has found a way to help others realize their dreams.

He and drummer Scott Cate co-host a singer/songwriter showcase

every Monday night, from 8 p.m. to midnight, at the Studio Cafe on

the Balboa Peninsula.

It was during one of those open mike nights where he discovered

Tanya Lundy, who now is interning with The Kerry Chester Trio as its

lead vocalist.

The showcase was where Chester also met Ernie Shaeffer of the

international group, Neto. The 13-member band is comprised of members

from Brazil, France, Argentina and the U.S.

A native of Brazil, Shaeffer invited Chester to come to his

homeland in July to play blues piano on a CD the group was about to

cut.

“I told him no way, that I was too busy here at home. It was the

middle of summer and I had too much on my plate. But, he kept

badgering me, saying he really wanted my playing style on the CD,” he

said.

Chester finally obliged Shaeffer and endured a 36-hour flight to

get to Brazil. He spent eight days in the region of Santa Maria, his

blues piano adding a unique touch to the Latin rhythms that dominate

the CD’s 12 tracks, which are sung in both English and Portuguese.

Chester co-produced part of the CD, unnamed as of yet, co-wrote

some of the lyrics and helped with the arrangements.

The entire process of making the album was video taped and will be

shown in a documentary on Brazilian television.

“In general, Brazilians had never heard blues before,” he said.

“The twist the blues piano gives to the Latin flavor is really an

incredible blend.”

“The people I met in Brazil were very warm and friendly and we

became good friends when the CD was finished. We seemed to overcome

our language barriers.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.